Naruto: Time Unskipped
by WeissTheImmaculate
Summary: Shukaku was not the first one they captured. Akatsuki mobilizes, two dark forces clash with one another, fragile alliances are formed, and the balance that has graced the shinobi world for over 70 years is irrevocably disturbed. The untold story of the 2 year time skip that will set the shinobi world on its path to war is finally revealed!
1. Chapter 1

Author's note:

This story delves into the events during the time skip in Naruto, and what exactly leads up to what is depicted in part two of the manga. Any terms left in Japanese have translations that can be referenced at the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1:

There was only one. He was sure of it. The dense foliage that was characteristic of western Uzu could have concealed any number of enemies, but he was certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was only one.

So then why did his instincts tell him that there were seven?

He kept asking himself this same question, as he managed to keep a reasonable distance ahead of his assailant. The mission was supposed to have been simple. First, he was to have travelled to a small village on the fringes of Uzu no Kuni. Once there, he was tasked with retrieving several important documents found in the wreckage that was once the village of Uzushiogakure. He admittedly hadn't paid very close attention during the Hokage's brief, but from what he understood, a group of excavators had been hired by Konohagakure to look for anything of use in the village that was once its close ally. And that was it. Retrieve the documents and return to Konoha. It shouldn't have been a difficult mission for any Chunin, let alone for a Jonin like himself.

But there was that damned rumor.

Yes, there was the rumor that even the Hokage herself had warned him about. Whispers of strange disappearances among the other villages had been spreading. Shinobi from surrounding countries, namely Kaminari and Mizu, which had entered this area, had been vanishing without a trace. At first, it was thought that perhaps a group of stray bandits had set up camp and were picking off weak ninja for sustenance or profit. But then the elites started to disappear as well. ANBU reports indicated that several Jonin from both Kumogakure and Kirigakure had been sent into Uzu for fairly mundane missions, only to be cut off from any kind of communication. Of course, these were just rumors, based on reports that were meant to be classified. He wasn't worried.

So then, who was this hulking figure that seemed to tail him to no end? The man was obviously a ninja. His speed and agility alone confirmed this. But it was that mysterious man's chakra that intrigued him so much.

He was a sensor-type, one of Konohagakure's best if he had to say so himself. As he focused on the man behind him, he couldn't help but perceive the abnormalities in his chakra system. While any average shinobi had a single area where most of his or her chakra emanated from, this man seemed to have seven distinct masses of chakra positioned throughout his body. It was as if he was drawing energy from some source otherwise foreign to the human body, but what exactly this source was, he couldn't say. But now, he had had enough of this game of cat and mouse.

"Who the hell are you?" he shouted behind him as he landed on the nearest solid branch. He didn't expect much of an answer, and he readied himself for combat. But, much to his surprise, the enigmatic pursuer perched on a branch adjacent to his and looked in his direction.

"You're not very lucky today." The reply came in a dull monotone. His features were now visible for the first time, and they were nothing short of bizarre. The assailant, who was a rather tall if not rotund figure, was dressed from neck to ankle in what could only be described as chainmail armor. He wore sandals that were standard of a shinobi, there was no hitai-ate anywhere on his person. Instead, his eyes were covered by a visor of sorts that he recognized as having been used by western knights in much earlier times. The rest of his head was covered in bandages, leaving only his mouth visible.

"What does luck have to do with anything?" he replied in annoyance, confused by the previous statement. He continued to focus on the seven chakra masses, and couldn't help but feel that they were becoming active.

The knight-like figure let out an exasperated sigh. "You're the second one to say that to me today. It aggravates me." He slowly raised his arm and opened his hand, leaving the sensor faced with his outstretched palm.

He took a defensive stance as something began to flare up. He was right; the lumps of chakra within the metallic man were reacting. Without warning, pure chakra began to bubble from the surface of the man's armor. And this was no ordinary chakra. It was red, and had a distinctly foul nature to it, one that was familiar and yet difficult to place. The figure was still several meters away from him, and at least a few closer to the ground. If he needed to react, he would have more than enough time to dodge an attack from this distance.

He didn't even have time to suspect that the rumor may have been true after all. He only had time to gasp as the monstrous glowing crimson claw soared toward him at untraceable speeds, tore through his torso as if it were tissue paper, and killed him instantly.

* * *

It was raining. In most places, rain was an occurrence that invoked some kind of feeling. Be it annoyance, happiness, or at the very least, some base acknowledgement, something was there. However, this was not the case for the villagers of Amegakure no Sato. The downpour was a constant for them. The rain's absence was infinitely more likely to be recognized than the rain itself. Outsiders, who were few and far between in recent times, would call the place depressing. To the villagers though, it was home. And the rain was a divine guardian to them all, provided to them by the mighty god, Pain.

The village had just months before been divided by a state of civil war. The loyalists had remained faithful to the previous leader, Sanshouo no Hanzo, the militaristic legend that had gained near-god status of his own during the Second Shinobi World War. The rebels sided with the organization known as Akatsuki, a group headed by the mysterious Pain and his guardian angel, Konan.

Miraculously, Pain had managed to assassinate the seemingly-invincible Hanzo singlehandedly. The loyalists rose to avenge him, but this was short-lived, as Pain proceeded to brutally murder anyone even suspected of being loyal to Sanshouo. This set a terrifying example, and any further attempts to subvert Pain's power had been terminated. Since then, the villagers had begun to spread rumors that the constant rain over the village was monitored by the god himself, and that Pain had in fact ushered in an era of peace in Amegakure the likes of which had never be seen. Whether this would stick remained to be seen.

What few in the village were aware of was the true nature of Akatsuki. What had started as a mere alliance of rebels had evolved into something much greater, and much more sinister.

Two figures stood atop the structure that towered over all others in the village. They waited in silence, only staring out at the industrialized metropolis before them. However, it was not long before a third individual trudged up behind them, splashing through the endless puddles with each step. The three of them certainly had remarkable differences in physical attributes, but the fact that their attire matched perfectly could not be ignored. They were all adorned in flowing black cloaks that had collars reaching far above the neck, and most distinctively, they were embellished with multitudes of what appeared to be red clouds. This had for some time been known as the attire worn only by members of Akatsuki.

The new arrival grunted as if to garner the others' attention. "You call me all the way to this miserable place, only to ignore me," he spoke in a deep, grizzly voice. "Very typical." He was much taller than either of the others that were in his presence, and his face was entirely covered save for his bizarrely multicolored eyes. On his forehead was a hitai-ate bearing the mark of Takigakure, which had a single slash through its center. This was a common sign of rebellion among members of the organization.

The duo finally turned to acknowledge their guest. One of them, a tall man with spiky auburn hair, a heavily-pierced face, and a slashed Ame hitai-ate, was the first to speak. "I apologize, Kakuzu," he said in a booming and commanding tone. "I was merely observing the state of my people. They have only just begun to calm down after the unfortunate death of that reptilian leader of theirs." He paused as if to ponder his own words, but seemed to push a thought aside as he continued, "I do appreciate your timely arrival. Your presence here is essential to our cause." The figure to his left, a young woman with short indigo hair that was decorated with a single origami flower, looked on in silence.

Kakuzu snorted at the remark. "Spoken like a true leader, Nagato. Although you and I both know that the real man in charge is the one who called me here." He craned his head from side to side as if to look for something and continued, "Where is he, anyway?"

"Madara will be here shortly," replied the man known only to a select few as Nagato. To his followers in the village, and to the world at large, he went by the name Pain. He was a symbol of the bloody, war-torn past of his village. But he knew that an old veteran like Kakuzu had little respect for what "Pain" represented. It had bothered him at first, but Kakuzu was, if nothing else, useful to him. And so he ignored his acts of insubordination. His eyes narrowed as he looked past Kakuzu. "It seems that the 'man in charge' has just arrived."

The footsteps behind him confirmed this. Kakuzu turned to face the long-haired man who had arrived in complete silence. His garb consisted of a simple black robe and pants, and around his waist was a heavy-looking metallic belt that dropped down and armored the entirety of his legs. A plain sheathed katana also hung from the belt. Around his neck was a blue scarf worn traditionally by many shinobi, but his most distinctive feature was the mask. It was elliptical and covered everything save for his right eye, and was intricately decorated with black, flame-like patterns.

Uchiha Madara. The name alone possessed so much sinister history that the mere mention of it could strike fear into an opponent, or even rally the masses to battle. While the world had long since thought him dead after his legendary battle against Senju Hashirama, the Shodaime Hokage, those present at this particular meeting knew better. Madara was alive and well, and was the real man pulling the strings behind Akatsuki. Few even in the organization itself were privy to this knowledge, and instead followed orders from Pain, who had been acting as a figurehead.

"Kakuzu, my old friend," spoke a deep voice from behind the mask. "It's been too long. How has the bounty-hunting business been treating you?" Madara and Kakuzu had long reveled in their shared hatred of Hashirama. Both had suffered a brutal defeat at the Hokage's hand, and each of them had abandoned their respective villages as a result.

"Not too badly," he replied to the masked-man in a much less irritated tone. "Just last week I pulled in a guy who was worth twenty-million ryo. Of course, half of that went towards Akatsuki's funds, but it still wasn't too shabby." Kakuzu had been the longstanding treasurer of Akatsuki, and thus handled all of its funds. It often pained him to part with his money, but he couldn't argue with the fact that working with Akatsuki was good for business.

The woman, Konan, cleared her throat, clearly annoyed by this idle talk. She spoke up, "I think it's best if we discuss more important matters. Time is of the essence."

"Fair enough," Madara replied. He motioned for Kakuzu to follow him as they closed the gap between themselves and their hosts. "You remember the task that was assigned to you by our organization, correct?"

"Of course," he grunted in recognition. "When the time is right, I am to hunt and capture a girl from Takigakure, the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi. How could I forget such a simple order?"

Pain became aggravated by Kakuzu's aloof response. "Whether it will be simple or not remains to be seen. And the reason you are here now is because it is time for you to carry out your duty."

"Already?" This shocked the former Taki shinobi. "I was under the impression that we were to capture and seal the biju in order of their number of tails. We haven't even captured Shukaku yet, and you want me to go for the Nanabi now?"

"Things have become…complicated," explained Madara. "The Nanabi has long since abandoned your old village and is causing a bit of a stirrup among the great nations. For one reason or another, the Jinchuriki has been assassinating skilled shinobi, and has naturally garnered unwanted attention. Our fear is that if the Nanabi is captured or even killed by one of the villages before we have the chance to seal it ourselves, it could set our plan back several years."

"So basically I'm on cleanup duty, huh?"

Madara chuckled, "It's a bit more complex than that. And I understand that your partner had an unfortunate accident recently…"

As his words trailed off, Kakuzu cut in, "It was no accident. That weakling got on my nerves to no end, so I got rid of him. I have no patience for weaklings. Why don't you find me someone to work with who isn't so pathetically easy to kill?" Though his mouth was covered, it was obvious this last sentence was spoken with a gloating smirk. Kakuzu was well-known for killing his partners in cold blood if they ever managed to agitate him.

Pain gave a slight wave of his hand and grimaced. "We can't have you burning through members like this. Be that as it may, I have personally selected someone to take the place of your partner, so at least make an attempt to get along this time." As he spoke the last sentence, a cloaked figure stepped from behind a nearby pillar and stood beside the blue-haired woman. Kakuzu could only stare in shock as he took in the sight of his new associate.

Before him was a petite girl who could have been no older than sixteen years of age. She had short, jet black hair and her eyelids were caked in heavy black mascara. Both of her ears had at least half-a-dozen piercings, and she had a single ring pierced through her right nostril. She wore the same outfit that he was wearing, red clouds and all, and on her left index finger was the ring belonging to his deceased partner. But what truly caught his attention was her hitai-ate. It was identical to Pain's, bearing the slashed mark of Amegakure.

"So you're sticking me with one of your flunkies?" Kakuzu scoffed. "And she's a little girl, no less."

Madara looked on silently, but his only thought was that Pain had essentially just signed this poor girl's death warrant. He placed his hand on Kakuzu's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be up to the task. However, this may alleviate your worries." He paused. "I will be accompanying you on this mission as well. The capture of this Jinchuriki is essential to or continuation as an organization, and I have no doubt that we'll face opposition from members of the five great villages as well." Pain's eyes narrowed slightly at this remark. This had not been part of their discussed plan.

"I'm relieved that I'll be travelling with someone who is actually willing to do some work," Kakuzu affirmed. He then pointed lackadaisically at the newcomer. "And perhaps if she's lucky I'll be able to ignore her thanks to the company of an old comrade." The girl remained silent and seemed to be preoccupied with a particularly interesting wall.

Madara slapped him on the back and turned to face the door. "Indeed, I look forward to recounting stories from the old days." He motioned for the girl to follow. "Kakuzu, Suika, let's move out at once." The teen glided silently from Nagato's side and stood next to her new partner, causing him to cringe slightly at her proximity. She was far too creepy for his tastes, but perhaps Madara would take to her. If nothing else, he was sure that she must have had some degree of skill. She had to if she was given that cloak. The three of them entered the interior the tower without a word and began to descend the massive staircase. Pain and the angel stood alone in the torrential downpour.

When the others were out of earshot, he spoke to his partner, "This won't do. I don't fully trust Madara, and Kakuzu is far too close to him. I thought that sending one of my own would be enough to keep tabs on this mission, but now I'm unsure."

Konan pursed her lips. "Suika is easily one of the strongest and most loyal members of our rebels, but she can be detached and unreadable. There's nothing to guarantee that she'll remain loyal to you over Madara if he uses that eye. You know as well as I do that he can be very persuasive." For several moments, only the endless noise of rain on stone could be heard.

He closed his pale, spiraling eyes. "Madara's Project Tsuki no Me directly conflicts with our goals," he stated flatly. This was perhaps the biggest flaw in Akatsuki's assembly. Madara wished to use the power of the biju to place the entire planet under a genjutsu that would put the world in a state of forced, permanent peace. Nagato, on the other hand, wished to use the power of the beasts to scare the world into a state of peace. In the latter plan, the world still managed to retain most of its free will, and this was far more ideal in his opinion. "I had planned to engage him once we had captured all of the biju, but to do that I need to maintain strong allies."

He formed his hands into a single seal as a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. "I'm going to monitor this mission as well. I'm sending one of the Six Paths of Pain."

* * *

Two figures squared off in the center of a forest clearing, neither one moving an inch. There was only a slight breeze, and the only sound that could be heard was the light rustling of tree branches. Nevertheless, one could cut the tension in the air with a kunai. Both were young men of about equal height and build. One was dressed in what appeared to be traditional white combat robes that were tied at the waist with a black Konohagakure hitai-ate. He had short messy black hair, what appeared to be pale, pupil-less eyes, and a stern and fierce look to his facial features. The other was dressed in a black hooded coat that was usually utilized by, but not restricted to, Konoha's ANBU forces. His brown hair was short and spiky, and his vibrant green eyes complemented the confident smirk plastered on his face.

The two men approached each other calmly and extended their right hands to one another. They each extended their index and middle fingers, and held them parallel to their chests. This was Konoha's traditional ritual for sparring between comrades. For a moment, they both remained in this position. Then, without warning, the two figures rapidly leapt backwards from one another and prepared for combat.

The white-robed man formed his hands into a seal and shouted, "**Byakugan!**"Instantly, veins around his eyes popped to the surface, and his pupils became more defined.

"**Doton: Funshutsu Doro no Jutsu!**" shouted his opponent as he made a series of hand seals, ending with the Snake. He inhaled deeply, and upon touching the ground, a violent stream of mud and rock erupted from his mouth. The earthen projectile moved swiftly towards his opponent, but the white-eyed man managed to dodge and landed safely several meters away. The mud continued until it hit a nearby tree trunk, splintering it in the process.

"Lucky dodge, Hidama!" called the cloaked ninja to his opponent. He wasted no time and began weaving another set of hand seals. "Let's see how you deal with this one, though!" He then thrust his right arm to his side with an open palm as electricity crackled around his fingers. He charged at Hidama, closing the distance between them at impressive speeds.

Hidama remained calm and focused on his opponent's movements. "You're fast as always, Kosuke, but my Byakugan can read every move you make."

In seconds Kosuke was upon him, and his palm jabbed out towards Hidama's chest. "**Raiton: Raimahisho!**" he cried as his attack hit its target, electricity coursing through Hidama's veins. "Got you!" he exclaimed. However, much to his shock, he was then engulfed in a small cloud of smoke as the man before him was replaced with a log, which fell to the ground with a light thud. "Kawarimi no Jutsu… damn it." He only had a second to notice the rush of air and chakra flying at his back.

He heard Hidama bellow, "**Hakke Kusho!**" as he narrowly avoided the jet stream by diving underground with the Moguragakure no Jutsu. He resurfaced several feet away, only to find himself taking a potent open-handed strike to the jaw. His body crashed to the earth, leaving him utterly defenseless.

Hidama looked down at his defeated adversary. "That's game, Kosuke." He had little time to revel in his victory however, as he found himself with a kunai to his throat. Hidama only smirked as the Kosuke in front of him melted into a pile of thick mud. "Damn it, I should have known you'd use the Doton Kage Bunshin when you went underground. I got careless."

Kosuke grinned, "That's game, Hidama," as he held the knife triumphantly. He was about to continue gloating when he felt a kunai pointed at his back. Kosuke let out an annoyed groan as he understood the current situation. "You _did _suspect I'd make a clone, so you made a Kage Bunshin of your own to hang back just in case. Very clever."

"It looks like we're at a stalemate again, then," said Hidama's clone, keeping the tip of his knife right up against Kosuke's spine. The latter simply nodded in agreement, lowering his weapon from Hidama's neck. In response, the Kage Bunshin disappeared from existence. This spar had ended in a draw, much as did the majority of their matches these days. The two ninja promptly turned to face each other, and once again extended their index and middle fingers. This time, their fingers interlocked with one another, and this position was held for a few seconds. The sparring ritual was now complete, and the two let out an exasperated hoot in unison.

"I can't believe you perfected the Raimahisho already," Hidama mused, still catching his breath.

"It's still not perfect," Kosuke responded, using his hands to dust off his cloak. "I managed to get a quick session with Hatake Kakashi, and he was kind enough to give me some pointers on how to properly execute a close-ranged Raiton technique."

"Hatake Kakashi did? That's incredible!" Hidama remarked as he finally deactivated his dojutsu. "I would love to have some one-on-one time with an elite shinobi like him some time." The two of them began to make their way out of the clearing and back towards the village. The sun was already setting and they had yet to turn in the report from their most recent mission.

"Yeah, I ran into him at the bookstore the other day," Kosuke began to explain, "and I managed to bug him enough that he was willing to answer a few of my questions just to get me off of his back!" He winked and grinned devilishly after this remark. This was typical protocol for the cloaked shinobi. Hidama was about to reprimand his comrade when an unexpected voice shouted in their direction.

"Guys! Guys!" shouted a distressed and very out-of-breath man as he approached the duo. "Something awful has happened!" Kosuke and Hidama took in the sight of the man before them. It was their third teammate, Murasaki Yuhi, and he looked as pale as a ghost. He was a muscular, if not a bit overweight, young man who had his long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Unlike his teammates, he wore the standard green flak jacket that all Konoha Chunin were issued.

Kosuke was alarmed by the state of his teammate. He hollered, "Slow down buddy, just tell us what happened?" He had never seen Murasaki so distressed in his life. Murasaki placed his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath, finally building up the stamina to speak.

"It's Gennai-sensei… Gennai-sensei has been killed in action."

* * *

"Again!"

The word echoed throughout the dimly-lit chamber that smelled of mold and congealed blood. As if in response, the room was briefly dazzlingly illuminated, accompanied by what sounded like the chirping of a thousand birds. This lasted for only a moment before the room returned to its gloomy state.

"Good, Sasuke, good," spoke a bone-chilling voice. "You're progressing more quickly than I ever could have hoped. You can rest for the remainder of the day." The words were spoken by a tall serpentine man. His skin was white as marble, and his golden eyes bore slit-like pupils of a distinct reptilian nature. At his feet was a young man who was sweating and panting violently. It was clear that he had been pushed well beyond his body's limits.

"No," the boy sputtered, "I can keep going, Orochimaru. I need to keep going." His spiky black hair was matted with sweat, and his exposed upper-body was covered in still-bleeding wounds.

"We can't have you killing yourself recklessly, my dear Sasuke," he responded as his lips curved into a twisted smile. "After all, I need you to be in prime condition for when the transfer occurs." A pair of glowing crimson eyes stared up at him in defiance, but the sight only pleased him more. They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Excuse me, Orochimaru-sama," came the words of someone whose demeanor was far too pleasant for the dingy state of the reeking hall. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I've received some interesting news that I'm certain you'll want to hear it." A bespectacled silver-haired man stepped out of the shadows.

Orochimaru turned from his gagging student to face the man before him. "No need to worry, Kabuto. We were just finishing for the day." Sasuke coughed once as if to contest this, but said nothing. "What news have you brought me today?"

Kabuto handed the snake-like man a folder and spoke, "There has been some out of the ordinary activity going on in Uzu no Kuni. All of the ninja in that file have been reported as deceased or missing, and all of them disappeared in that country." Orochimaru began to thumb through the reports, but it was clear that further explanation was required. Kabuto continued in his smooth tone, "The thing that makes these cases so interesting is that they were all highly skilled shinobi who should not have been defeated so easily."

Orochimaru had known his young associate long enough to understand where this was going and it brought an unsettling smirk to his corpse-like lips. "I assume you have a hypothesis as to who the culprit is, then?" Sasuke had apparently lost consciousness behind him, as the coughing had stopped, but he paid this no heed at the moment. This conversation was far too stimulating.

It was Kabuto's turn to grin, and in many ways his was even scarier than that of the former Sannin. "Indeed I do. I have reason to believe that the one who has murdered these ninja is none other than a rogue Jinchuriki." Orochimaru had been correct. This had been just the opportunity that they had been waiting for.

"I assume that if you're aware of this fact, then _they _must have caught wind of it as well," Orochimaru surmised, his voice gaining more excitement by the minute. "And if we can take control of it before they do, we can cripple their entire organization permanently." Kabuto nodded in agreement. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Kabuto!" he exclaimed. Orochimaru made his way towards the exit of the room, but stopped for a moment to look back over his shoulder.

"Attend to young Sasuke's wounds. I have preparations to make." He began to laugh sadistically as he exited the chamber. The cackle could be heard from corner to corner of the massive labyrinth, and even Kabuto couldn't help but cringe as the piercing sound reached his ears.

* * *

Well, that's the end of chapter one! Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think!

**Terms Translated:**

**Uzushiogakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by Whirling Tides

**Uzu no Kuni**: Land of Whirlpools

**Konohagakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by Tree Leaves

**Kaminari no Kuni**: Land of Lightning

**Mizu no Kuni**: Land of Water

**Kumogakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by Clouds

**Kirigakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by Mist

**Hitai-ate**: Forehead protector

**Sanshouo**: Salamander

**Amegakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by Rain

**Takigakure (no Sato)**: Village Hidden by a Waterfall

**Nanabi**: Seven-Tails

**Tsuki no Me**: Eye of the Moon

**Doton: Funshutsu Doro no Jutsu**: Earth Release Mud Spitting Technique

**Raiton: Raimahisho**: Lightning Release Paralyzing Lightning Palm

**Kawarimi no Jutsu**: Body Replacement Technique

**Hakke Kusho**: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm

**Doton Kage Bunshin: **Earth Release Shadow Clone


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Took me a while to update, but here's chapter two!

* * *

They stared blankly at the slab of rock before them. The most recent bouquet of flowers placed before it was already beginning to wilt, despite having been left there only recently. A new name, "Shiranui Gennai," was freshly etched into the stone, the latest in a seemingly endless list of shinobi who had been honorably killed in action. The deceased man's students stood in complete silence as they paid their respects.

The funeral had not been extravagant, but that was befitting of a shinobi. It was standard that only his or her closest friends and relatives would attend, and often a short eulogy was given by the Hokage. After everyone gets their chance to pay their respects, the body is buried, and the ceremony ends as quickly as it began.

Gennai's tribute had been particularly moving, as he had been a member of the previous Hokage's elite personal guard, and was fairly well-known throughout the village. After heroically serving the Yondaime Hokage for years, he had given his position to his younger brother so that he could eventually take on a team of Genin as his apprentices. He had always said that this was his own way of passing on "The Will of Fire," and his students now felt this sentiment more than ever. Nevertheless, not a single tear was shed among any of the attendees. Not even the younger brother Genma wavered, despite their tremendous closeness. This was how shinobi operated. In traditional times, shedding tears would have even been considered offensive to the deceased. This fact didn't make letting go any easier.

It had been only four days since the funeral, but it felt as though an eternity had passed. They bowed before the Memorial Stone one last time, then left to make their way back toward the village. In such a short time, visiting the memorial had already become routine, and was to be that way for as long as the three of them could reach it together. They had now walked a considerable distance in silence, and Murasaki was the first to speak.

"I still don't understand," he said in a hushed tone. "Gennai-sensei was strong. I don't know anyone anywhere who would have an easy time taking him down, let alone in a barren place like Uzu." His unruly hair was let down for a change, and it moved wildly behind him in the crisp autumn breeze.

"Apparently the ANBU team that retrieved his body found no sign of other shinobi in the area," Hidama explained. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "The Hokage still has yet to give out any concrete details regarding his death. But I assume that she's at least suspicious regarding the rumor of dead shinobi from other villages." He began to absentmindedly kick a stone along the path as they trudged forward.

Kosuke gritted his teeth at the mention of that rumor. "I don't care what happened to those other shinobi," he spoke agitatedly. "I don't know how powerful those others were, but Gennai-sensei was one of our best. Whoever is out there picking people off has got to be on an entirely different level. If I could just figure out who did this to him…" Gennai's death seemed to be affecting Kosuke the worst between the three. Apparently he hadn't slept more than a handful of hours since they had received the news, and it showed in his appearance as well as in his demeanor. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes, and he was beginning to grow a beard that could no longer pass as five o'clock shadow.

Hidama sighed and placed his hand on his distressed teammate's shoulder. "I know what you mean, Kosuke, but there's not much we can do at the moment. We have to continue living our lives as loyal shinobi of Konohagakure. That's all Sensei ever wanted from us, so it's the least we can do for him." Murasaki nodded in agreement, and Kosuke followed a few moments later.

After continuing in relative silence for the next few minutes, the trio finally reached the outskirts of the village's market district. It was mid-afternoon, and the streets were filled with the usual hustle and bustle of buyers and merchants doing business. To the rest of the world, things were carrying on the same as always, and the scene couldn't help but distract the three Chunin from their thoughts of mourning.

"Come on guys, let's go grab a bite to eat!" Murasaki finally bellowed, breaking their lingering silence. "We still have an hour before our next mission briefing, so we might as well get some food in our stomachs! I'm starving!" Kosuke couldn't help but smile. Murasaki was always the one to lighten a dark mood, and his infectious smile had made him a well-known "comedian" among their peers. Even Hidama, who came from a clan well-known for their ever stoic attitude, couldn't help but crack a grin.

Kosuke took one last look in the direction of the Memorial Stone. Things would be different without their sensei around, and that was for certain. But somehow he knew it would be alright, as long as Team Gennai stuck together like they always had, and as long as they kept alive his "Will of Fire."

"Yeah, let's go!"

* * *

"I told you that I have this case under control, Tsunade-hime. I insist, there is no reason for any of your forces to get involved."

"This wasn't even within your jurisdiction in the first place, Danzo. If it wasn't for the Council, I would have shut down your entire operation long ago."

"You are naïve, Tsunade. I am doing what is in the best interest of our village. While you may not be taking this incident seriously, I have reason to believe that this could pose a threat to all of Konohagakure."

To say that Shimura Danzo frustrated her would be an understatement. Tsunade was well aware that he was running his own organization that was solely loyal to him, even though it had been officially disbanded years ago, known as Root. The Konoha Council repeatedly advised her not to disrupt his workings, despite the fact that he repeatedly undermined her authority as Hokage. This situation was no different.

"It's in capable hands. Two of my best agents are already investigating Gennai's death," Danzo explained as he leaned heavily on his cane. He was an elderly man from the same era as the late Sandaime Hokage. His face was heavily scarred from years of service as a one of Konoha's elite, and bandages covered the entire right side of his face. Tsunade was one of the few who knew what those bandages hid, and the thought of it disgusted her to that day.

The Hokage let out an exasperated sigh. "You can do whatever you want, Danzo. Nevertheless, I'm sending a team out there to check things out too. The ones I've chosen are particularly invested in the case, so I have no doubt that they'll bring something back." Tsunade stared fiercely at the elder as she made this statement. She knew that Danzo wouldn't be happy with her decision, but this fact pleased her all the more.

"Very well," he finally agreed after a few moments of silence. "Send your own team. However, I must insist that they rendezvous with my agents and share resources. Naturally, this will ensure the best result for the mission."

As much as she hated the idea of Danzo getting his hands into her business yet again, she couldn't argue with his logic. Having the cooperation of Root, which specialized in information gathering, would be invaluable on this particular mission. "Fair enough. Give me their coordinates and I'll send a team their way."

Danzo nodded. "I'll have them sent shortly, Tsunade-hime. It's been a pleasure as always." Without another word, the bandaged shinobi turned towards the door. After a few clacks of his cane, he was gone. Tsunade couldn't help but sigh as the door to her office shut. Somehow, Danzo always seemed to get his way, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before he attempted to usurp her power. However, she managed pushed these thoughts aside for the time being. The team that was to be assigned to investigate Uzu would be arriving shortly, and she had to prepare the mission brief as soon as possible. Still, she couldn't help but let the sound of that man's cane linger in the back of her head.

* * *

They were now a decent distance from Amegakure, as the rain had finally ceased. Kakuzu and the masked man walked at a steady pace and exchanged idle conversation as the young girl trailed behind. It had been decided that it was best for the three of them to operate as covertly as possible, and thus Kakuzu and Suika had both removed their Akatsuki cloaks. The former now wore only a simple sleeveless grey shirt that exposed his heavily stitched arms, as well as a cloth mask that covered the lower half of his face. His lengthy black hair trailed behind him in the light breeze. Suika had changed into a backless top and black shorts, and had bandages covering most of her arms and legs. She remained silent as the two men ahead of her continued to chat.

"I didn't even know that the Nanabi had ended up in Taki," Kakuzu mused to Madara. "Goes to show you how out of touch I am with that place after all these years. Not that I regret it." He felt no sympathy for his former village, and was delighted by the idea that its biggest military asset had gone and abandoned it.

"Apparently the Jinchuriki was run out of the village," Madara explained. His right hand rested on the hilt of his katana out of habit. "Rumor has it that the biju inside of her had begun to erode her sanity, and she would often have violent uncontrollable outbreaks. Seems like she became too difficult to handle, and they got rid of her."

Kakuzu scoffed at this bit of information. "That's so disgustingly typical of them. The second something doesn't operate the way they need it to, they dispose of it like a piece of trash. Lucky for us, that just makes our job easier." He then heard a twig snap behind him and was promptly reminded of the presence of their third wheel. Looking back at her, he called out, "You're awfully quiet! You're not losing your nerve or anything, are you?" She seemed not to pay him any notice, and continued pacing along the trail without batting an eye. Kakuzu hated being ignored. His new partner was already getting on his nerves. The stitched man pressed on in a scathing tone, "Come on, you don't need to be shy! Talk to us, we're comrades after all." Again, she said nothing.

Kakuzu whirled around and clenched his fists in anger, but Madara placed his hand on the former's shoulder. "I'm sure she's just the quiet type, Kakuzu. No need to be hard on her." Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he stared her down, but she seemed to look straight through him. He merely grunted, then turned and continued walking.

"How far are we from that port town, anyway?" Kakuzu mumbled as he placed his hands in his pockets. He had lost track of how long they had been travelling, but this much walking would be tiring for anyone, let alone a ninety-year-old man such as himself. It was true that the condition of his body belied his age, but his mind grew old regardless.

"You should not be so impatient." Kakuzu stopped in his tracks. He took a moment to process it, but without a doubt, those words had come from behind him. It was her.

"WHAT'D YOU JUST SAY, BRAT?" he bellowed. In one fluid motion, he spun and threw his arm out in her direction. His forearm separated from his body, but remained connected by countless black threads, and his open palm sped towards her throat. He was determined to kill her.

Suika responded by hopping gracefully into the air and landing on the nearest solid tree branch. As Kakuzu's arm followed her escape route, she pointed her index finger at the myriad of tendrils escaping from his body. She shouted, "**Ranton: Isshi Komyo!**" and a small sphere of light formed at the tip of her finger. A beam of pure white energy shot from the sphere at blinding speeds and severed Kakuzu's threads, causing his arm to crash to the ground in a heap. Even with his Sharingan, Madara had a hard time tracking the technique's movement.

Surprisingly, this action did not deter Kakuzu's attack. A white mask with the appearance of a tiger had emerged from the stump of his arm, and its demonic mouth opened slowly to reveal a lit flame. "**KATON: ZUKOKKU!**" he cried, as a ball of white-hot fire shot towards the girl.

Suika realized that there would be no time for her to dodge, and she was certain that she would die if the attack connected. All she could do was counter, so she brought her fingers to her mouth and yelled, "**Suiton: Daihodan no Jutsu!**" She spit a large mass of water from her mouth and leapt backwards simultaneously. The two elemental blasts connected, and a burst of searing hot steam was created upon the collision. However, Kakuzu's attack had been superior, and this caused the painful mist to continue its course in Suika's direction. She braced herself as the blast hit her, and it sent her body recoiling into a thick tree trunk.

She crashed to the ground with an angry thud, and she was still struggling to get back on her feet when the sound of his voice echoed through the forest. "**RAITON: GIAN!**" She was confident that this attack would kill her. She had only been able to last among Akatsuki's rank for a single day. The thought that she had failed Pain-sama so horribly aggrieved her, and she accepted that death was the only atonement for her now.

* * *

"Thank you again for your cooperation, Karin," came the eerily pleasant voice of Orochimaru's right-hand man. He placed the recently-taken blood sample on the desk behind him and returned his gaze to the crimson-haired girl before him. Karin, whether she knew it or not, was descended from the Uzumaki clan, who were well-known for their incredible life-force and longevity. Uzumaki blood was hard to come by in recent times, and Karin was a perfect specimen.

She snorted as she rolled her sleeve back down. "Orochimaru-sama asked me to cooperate with you. That's the only reason I'm here right now." Without another word she made her way towards the door, but she was stopped in her tracks when the snake himself entered.

Kabuto bowed as he greeted his serpentine master. "Greetings, Orochimaru-sama. To what do I owe the pleasure of your appearance?" He could tell that the Sannin was excited about something, and he suspected that it was related to the information from the day before.

"It's time for us to cripple that infernal organization once and for all," Orochimaru spoke with a sadistic grin. "You're going to lead a task force and capture that rogue Jinchuriki before Akatsuki gets their slimy hands on it. I trust that you're up to it?" He licked his lips out of habit as his last words slipped out.

Kabuto pushed aside the cart that housed most of his medical materials and stepped towards his master. "Of course, Orochimaru-sama. Have you assembled my team already?" He had a feeling that at least one of his would-be subordinates was already in the room.

Karin, who had been listening rather intently, jolted upwards when the snake master turned to her. "My dear Karin," he hissed, "you're sensory abilities will be a great asset towards finding our target. You'll accompany Kabuto, is that understood?" She merely nodded. She had no issue talking back to the four-eyes, but she would never dream of opposing Orochimaru's wishes.

"Excellent. Then please, both of you follow me." Orochimaru strode out of the room with Kabuto and Karin in tow, his grin not having subsided in the slightest. Compared to Kabuto's clean and well-lit laboratory, the corridors of Orochimaru's base were dim and putrid. The snake and his followers passed what seemed to be an endless number of identical doors and passages, all lined with torches that somehow burned indefinitely. They walked in silence, and finally they came to a steep staircase that led to the surface. The entire base was just one of many of Orochimaru's underground strongholds, and despite its immense size, it was largely abandoned at the moment save for a few Oto shinobi. As they stepped outside, they appeared in a heavily wooded clearing.

Kabuto felt that something was amiss. "I'm not sure I understand what we're doing out here, Orochimaru-sama. Shouldn't I rendezvous with the rest of my squad before you brief us on the mission details?" It appeared that Orochimaru fully expected Kabuto to leave for his assignment as soon as possible, but he and Karin alone would be vastly outmatched by a Jinchuriki regardless of how skilled they were.

"That won't be necessary," Orochimaru replied. He suddenly clapped his hands together and shouted, "**Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!**" This took Kabuto by surprise as the ground around him began to shake, and several large objects began to rise out of the ground. Just as he had thought, the three of them were now surrounded by the ominous sight of six towering coffins.

* * *

She was stirred from her thoughts by three quick knocks on the door. "You may enter," she called out. Three young men stepped into her office, approached her desk, and bowed.

Kosuke spoke first. "We're here to receive our next mission, Hokage-sama." Tsunade nodded, and Team Gennai stood and faced forward.

"I'm going to preface this by saying that this has the possibility of being an S-Rank mission," began the Hokage. The three Chunin were expectedly shocked, but the stern look on the Tsunade's face told them to wait before asking questions. "You three are to travel to Uzu and investigate your sensei's death. Find any kind of information that could lead to the assassin."

"We thank you for allowing us to contribute in Gennai-sensei's investigation, Hokage-sama" Hidama was beginning to sweat. This mission sounded far too normal to be an S-Rank, and he knew that what they had heard was only the tip of the iceberg.

Murasaki was fidgeting as well. Chunin were very rarely allowed to participate in A-Rank missions, let alone S-Ranks. He finally asked, "Why are we the one's being assigned to this mission, though?"

Tsunade sighed and folded her hands in front of her face. "I'll be honest with you. The fact is, this assassin is strong. Whoever it is, they've killed dozens of high-ranking shinobi from around the continent. Therefore, if anyone, including you three was to encounter them there's no certainty that they would walk away from the fight alive." Kosuke gulped as he began to understand their place in this mission. "It's for this reason that only Gennai's students would be suited to gathering information about the enemy and returning alive with that information. I understand that he taught you that technique, correct?" They nodded immediately. "Very good. Then tomorrow morning, you are to set off for Uzu no Kuni. And once you are there…" She trailed off for a moment, and Kosuke swore he caught a slight grimace catch her face. "Once you are there, you are to rendezvous with two ANBU units at this location and combine forces." She handed a small scroll to Kosuke containing the coordinates, and he placed it in his rear equipment pouch. "Are there any further questions?"

"No, Hokage-sama," they replied in unison. Their mission was crystal clear, and despite the obvious dangers involved, they were all equally excited by the prospect of avenging their sensei.

"Very well, then. You are dismissed." Team Gennai bowed and exited the office, and they swore they heard the Hokage curse a certain elder's name under her breath.

* * *

Kabuto and Karin used their sleeves to wipe away some of the residual dust that had stuck to their glasses during the summoning. "You really have improved on this technique, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto remarked in delight. "Can you really control this many summons at once?" The last time he had had the pleasure of seeing this technique, only two coffins had appeared.

Orochimaru chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. "I've long since surpassed Senju Tobirama in mastering this technique." He leaned against the nearest coffin and rapped on the side of it with his knuckle. "Even though he created this ability, I'm sure he never could have dreamed that it could be used so efficiently." He then approached Kabuto and formed the tiger hand seal. "Hold out your arm, Kabuto." The latter complied, and Orochimaru immediately grabbed Kabuto's arm in both of his hands. He seemed to be concentrating heavily, as beads of sweat were beginning to appear on the Sannin's brow. Finally, after a few moments, he pulled away to reveal an extravagant black seal on Kabuto's arm.

Kabuto marveled at this modification to his body as a searing pain shot through his arm. To anyone else, this pain would have caused one to violently scream and flail about, but Kabuto had experimented on his own body enough that it did not particularly bother him. He finally asked, "What is the purpose of this seal, Orochimaru-sama?" He had never quite seen a marking like this one.

"It's a binding seal," Orochimaru explained. "These that I have summoned are now bound to your will and will follow any commands you give them." The lids of the coffins began to fall one by one as Orochimaru continued. "That is to say, these will be acting as your subordinates on this mission."

Kabuto looked around him as the contents of the coffins were revealed to him, and the identities of the individuals that surrounded him were nothing short of astounding. "How did you manage to bring these out?" he stammered in disbelief. Before him were six deceased famous shinobi, and all of them were now, as far as he could tell, completely under his command.

Orochimaru made one final seal, causing the blank expressions on the corpses to come to life. One by one, they opened their eyes and stepped out of their coffins. "It took a bit of effort, but I've been having my subordinates search for DNA samples belonging to powerful shinobi." Orochimaru smirked as he stared at the shinobi closest to him. "Of course, some were easier to acquire than others."

A tall man with spiky brown hair and an open-necked black jacket turned to Orochimaru with a look of bewilderment on his face. "Orochimaru, you traitor!" he shouted in rage as he grabbed the snake by the throat. Orochimaru hardly flinched as the man continued. "What kind of sick joke is this? You murder me in cold blood, only to unceremoniously rip me from the afterlife?"

"I'll need you to stop that now, Yondaime-san," Kabuto muttered. No sooner had Kabuto's words left his mouth than the man loosened his grip on Orochimaru. The Yondaime Kazekage had allied himself and Sunagakure with Orochimaru just a year and a half prior in order to overthrow Konoha. However, Orochimaru had played him for a fool. He murdered the Kazekage and stole his identity, and it was clear that even in death the latter held a grudge.

The Kazekage trembled angrily as he looked down at his hands. "My body isn't doing what I want it to. What on earth is this?"

"I recognize this technique, Kazekage-sama," came the voice of one of the other revived. He stepped toward Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the Fourth Kazekage as he explained. "This is the technique of the Nidaime Hokage, the Edo Tensei. It can bring back the deceased to the realm of the living, and then binds them to the will of the summoner." The man sighed and shook his head, causing his short black hair to rustle slightly. "I never expected someone else to use it, let alone you, Orochimaru." He stared fiercely at the Sannin, his eyes a shade of blazing red.

"No need to look so angry with me, Fugaku-san," Orochimaru chortled at the resurrected Uchiha. "You were eliminated by your own son for trying to stage a coup d'etat, and now I've given you another chance to live and cause chaos. Is that so bad?"

"Serving scum like you is just about the worst fate I could imagine," he retorted, the creases beneath his eyes only adding to his ferocity. His Sharingan were focused on Orochimaru, but Kabuto's control stopped him from making a move. Uchiha Fugaku had almost led the elite Uchiha Clan in a coup against Konohagakure some years prior, an event which well could have led the world into war. However, the actions of his son, Uchiha Itachi, had put a stop to this plan, as well as to the existence of the clan as a whole.

A distressed voice, that of a female, was heard next. "Fugaku-san? Orochimaru-sama? What's going on? What am I doing here? I thought I…" The woman stumbled out of the coffin, and for the first time since the summoning, Karin gasped. The woman before her had flowing red hair much like her own, and more so, their natural chakra signatures were nearly identical. She wore a Konoha hitai-ate and a green flak jacket, and it was clear that she had some innate power that even Karin's sensory abilities couldn't entirely comprehend.

Fugaku glanced at the woman, and then shot and even more disgusted look at Orochimaru, who was licking his wicked lips in delight. "You even took her, you slime?" Fugaku hissed. He gave a solemn look in her direction. "I'm sorry that you and I are sharing this fate… Kushina-san."

* * *

There's chapter two, tell me what you think!

**Terms Translated:**

**Ranton: Isshi Komyo:** Storm Release: String of Splendor

**Katon: Zukokku:** Fire Release: Searing Migraine

**Suiton: Daihodan no Jutsu:** Water Release: Huge Projectile Technique

**Raiton: Gian: Lightning Release:** False Darkness

**Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei:** Summoning: Impure World Resurrection

**Nidaime: **Second

**Yondaime:** Fourth


End file.
